This invention relates to devices that are capable of supporting an organ, such as the heart, and of exposing a given area of tissue to permit a surgical procedure to be performed on the area. In particular, the invention relates to a flexible suction retractor device that is capable of supporting and adjusting an organ so that an area of tissue is exposed for surgery.
Surgery on certain vessels in an organ such as the heart is difficult because the vessels are not easily accessible. For example, the circumflex coronary artery lies on the posterior surface of the heart and so the heart must be rotated to access this surface for coronary bypass surgery.
One method of accessing this surface of the heart involves a cardiopulmonary bypass wherein the heart is arrested, the blood drained, an artificial circulatory system is set up for the duration of the procedure and then the heart is lifted and partially rotated. Several methods have been used to support and rotate the heart appropriately. An assistant may hold the heart with outstretched hand but this technique is extremely unwieldy. Artificial metallic xe2x80x9chandsxe2x80x9d may hold the heart in a similar manner but pose similar disadvantages. A surgical net may be used but the fine strands of the net impinge on the heart and may cause damage. A heart support formed of cloth tapes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,863 but this support has a rough texture, does not support the heart uniformly and covers areas of the heart from the surgeon""s sight. U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,300 describes a cardiac sling that supports the heart uniformly but still covers large areas of the heart and takes up space in the chest cavity.
Because of the risks incurred during cardiopulmonary bypass, other methods have been attempted for performing a coronary artery bypass graft procedure without the cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary bypass described above. In these methods, an immobilization device is used to immobilize a local area of the heart so that surgery may be performed in that area. One such device and a method for using it are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,311 assigned to Medtronic, Inc., and herein incorporated by reference. For these methods, which localize the surgery, it is even more crucial that the organ be supported and that the area for the surgery be made accessible. The support techniques described above could all be used with such methods of performing a coronary artery bypass graft procedure. However, these techniques continue to have the same disadvantages of being unwieldy, obstructing areas of the heart and possibly causing damage to the heart.
Finally, as endoscopic surgery becomes more prevalent, the area exposed to surgery will become even more localized and the need for supporting the organ and presenting the appropriate surface for surgery will be even greater.
Therefore a device for easily supporting an organ such as the heart during surgery would be desirable. In addition, a device that could appropriately present an area of the organ for surgery without obscuring that area would also be desirable, particularly in an endoscopic surgical procedure. Furthermore, a device that could appropriately support and manipulate the organ during surgery while causing little distress to the organ would also be desirable.
One aspect of the invention provides for a suction retractor which includes a support paddle, at least one suction element positioned on the support paddle, a suction tube which connects to the section elements, and at least one leash attached to the paddle. The support paddle may be any appropriate paddle or similar support device. The suction elements may be any appropriate suction device, which may be arranged in a variety of configurations. The leash or leashes may be made from a variety of preferably biocompatible materials. The suction tube may also be made from a variety of preferably biocompatible materials. Both leash and suction tube are preferably flexible.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of exposing a surface of an organ such as the heart using a suction retractor. This method involves positioning the suction elements of the suction retractor adjacent the surface of the organ, communicating a suction to the suction elements, grasping the surface of the organ, and moving the leash to adjust the organ to a desired position.
Another aspect of the invention provides a system for supporting the heart using a suction retractor. This system includes the suction retractor, at least one leash for positioning the suction retractor, a stable object to which one end of the lease may be attached for stability, and a suction source to provide suction to the suction elements which may be used to grasp and support an organ such as the heart.
The foregoing, and other, features and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims in equivalence thereof.